All the Time in the World
by Vixi89
Summary: "If I'd have stayed to finish those reports, I'd have been extremely late for our date tonight, and a gentleman never keeps a lady waiting..." Harry trailed off. Had he inadvertently referred to tonight as a 'date? He hoped Nikki wouldn't notice.
1. Back to normality

**_Hi everyone! First fic for me. Very Harry/ Nikki central. Gotta love a bit of Emilia and Tom, Harry and Nikki. Who cares, it's all brilliant! _**

**_Been inspired by some amaaazing fics on here to have a crack at my own. Not much of a plot to it I don't think. Not quite finished yet, will update with more chapters soon. _****_(Harry and Nicki, Leo and anything else you recognise belongs to the great BBC. )_**

**_Vix_**

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_She couldn't help but notice the pain gradually fading from his eyes. She couldn't help but notice his undeniably mischievous smile spread once again over his lips. She couldn't help but notice the ease at which everything had returned to normal in the past weeks. And she couldn't help but notice the sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach as she realised that 'normal' was no longer bearable._

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* * *

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As she delicately nursed her compulsory cup of morning coffee, Nikki could not help but wonder where it had all gone wrong. When did it become _wrong_? Wrong to find herself counting the seconds till Harry walked through the office doors each morning. Wrong to feel her stomach lurch with a sense of some indecipherable emotion at his every word. Wrong to feel a spine-tingling chill when he touched her arm, worse when he placed a hand on the small of her back in the comforting manner he so frequently did. When did Harry Cunningham's presence become so alien to her?

Things had changed. It was all wrong. She knew everything would be different after Hungary. After Anna. After the relief from the gut wrenching pain caused by the thought of never seeing Harry again. Seeing him in that instant, feeling his warmth pressed against her, after dreaming of his cold, dead body, sent innumerable emotions racing through Nikki. At the time it was all she could do just to remain standing, but constant reflection upon that moment had exposed her to feelings she knew she'd hidden away for far too long.

Harry, however seemed entirely oblivious to the emotional turmoil Nikki had found herself in.

"Well, as it is quite clear that the hair on my head will be grey and sparse by the time you finish your coffee, I guess I'll be taking off to sort this roadside stabbing then will I? "

A wicked smile spread across Nikki's face as she prepared to speak, but Harry anticipated her comeback.

"And before you even _think_ about making some crude grey hair-related witty remark... Dont!" He smiled.

"Caught me out there Doctor. It was just such an easy jibe to make... And no, my coffee is, er..." Nikki paused as she swallowed the remainder of her stale coffee to prove her point "...finished. There. So I'll come with you. Roadside incident. Broad Daylight. Bound to be a hell of a lot of scene contamination and onlookers. No, I'd definably better keep you company on this one." She mused.

"Ah, I see. You just don't want to be so soon separated from my devilish wit and rugged handsomeness!" Harry retorted.

"Rugged? Is that what you call it? Well in that case, I've seen homeless guys on the street who are less 'rugged' than you Doctor Cunningham! When was the last time you bothered to shave?"

In truth, Nikki _had_ noticed the slight remaining purplish shadows underneath Harry's piercing eyes, the lengthy 'stubble' that adorned his pale skin, and his generally dishevelled appearance of late. She had decided weeks back though that he didn't need her poking her nose into his grief, and she had to admit she found the worn down, vulnerable Harry less of a challenge and a threat to her new found feelings for her colleague.

"Humph!" Harry folded his arms in jest and pouted across the desk to his female colleague.

"I _was _thinking of inviting you out to dinner tonight."

"Oh yes? For what purpose?" Nikki felt a surge of hope rising inside her. Maybe Harry was FINALLY asking her out on a real date?

"Well. Invariably, so that if I went out to dinner with you, _you'd_ actually be there! Seems a bit pointless otherwise don't you think?"

And just like that her hopes were once again, like so many times before, crushed by his aberrant humorous nature. And she found herself wishing, once again, that if he had to go and destroy all hope of there ever being a 'beyond' phase in their friendship, he should do it is a less loveable manner.

"Well I suppose that makes sense, but there's one fatal flaw in your great dinner plans. You see, you're assuming I actually want to have dinner with you tonight. You're also assuming that I have nothing better to do."

But Nikki wondered why she couldn't in that instant, think of one thing she would rather do than go to dinner with Harry that evening. Dinner sounded perfect, even if it was with the one man who would never be able to open his heart to her enough to explore a possibility of them being together.

"Better to do? What could be better than spending the evening with me in a snazzy little restaurant somewhere?" Harry teased. "Unless you have plans with Brian, or Bruno, or... what was it again?"

"Firstly, no one says 'snazzy' anymore you old man! Secondly, his name is Ben. And no, he's working tonight but we are having dinner tomorrow." Nikki replied.

Total lie. Not about the Ben part, he was real alright. A real distraction from her situation with Harry. But the dinner part. Shit. She'd have to remember to leave work on time tomorrow so as to keep up the pretence. Or she could actually ask Ben to dinner tomorrow? He'd probably jump at the chance. Probably jump out of a moving car if Nikki asked nicely enough, she was sure his affections for her were borderline obsessive. Still, he was there when she decided she needed him, and easy enough to disregard when she didn't.

"Well, well, well! Nikki Alexander. Two men and two dinners in as many days. Who'd have thought it eh?" Harry had perched himself on the edge of Nikki's desk and was refusing to budge, both physically and conversationally.

"Once again you fail to notice Doctor Cunningham, that I have yet to respond to your offer of dinner thus far!" Nikki couldn't resist prolonging the unusually (of late) relaxed, and quite possibly flirtatious, behaviour between the two of them.

"Give a guy a break Nix! We haven't had a proper catch up since... well, in forever. I'm bored without your wonderful little stories in my life!" Harry made a sad but rather comic face.

After a slight further pause, Nikki gave in. "Well, a girl's gotta eat I suppose. Pick me up at eight."

"Yes Maam!" Harry replied, beaming. "Now, how about a pre-dinner bit of excitement at this lovely roadside stabbing I keep hearing so much about?"

"Gosh. You sure do know how to treat a girl Harry!"

And with that, the pair left the office arm in arm. Comfortable, content and excited for the evening ahead.

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**Hope this was a teeny bit enjoyable, at least to a few. Please review with any comments, good or bad. :) More chapters to come!**


	2. Dinner or date?

As the hot water cascaded down his back, Harry couldn't ignore the familiar excitable feeling that washed over him as powerfully as the shower he was currently standing in. After a decidedly hectic morning with Nikki at a particularly grizzly roadside stabbing, his blonde colleague had rushed off to an incident in Harrow, leaving him with a long afternoon taken up by a lengthy post-mortem and a stack of paperwork to complete. And he found himself missing her company.

Sure, there had always been times when he'd missed her, like when she took up Anton's case in Cape Town for what had seemed like months, but was in fact only a few weeks, but this was different. He'd only seen Nikki 6 hours ago and he was already looking forward to picking her up for dinner in thirty minutes time.

Things had been different between them since events in Hungary. Harry wasn't the same, he knew that. He'd originally thought that fear for his own safety must have overshadowed the grief he felt at losing Anna and his unborn baby, but recently had began to wonder whether grief was really the emotion in question. Guilt. He knew he felt that. He should have never argued with Anna and left her at the mercy of her killer and he would regret that for a long time to come. And he rationalised that guilt was a more overriding emotion than his grief ever was. Surely that wasn't right, surely that made him inhuman and insensitive?

Seeing Nikki's face again for the first time since she'd learnt of his 'death', holding her tight, it was as if all his worries and grief had evaporated in that very second. He wasn't sure how she's managed it, but Nikki had become his lifeline these last few weeks and to be without her was almost painful for him. He knew she was right when she said "you need your friends around you now Harry. We can help you", but he wasn't sure she realised just _how much_ he needed her.

* * *

After fussing for far too long about what shirt to wear, Harry made his way over to Nikki's flat, wondering what the anxious churning sensation in his stomach was trying to tell him. He arrived just a few minutes after eight to find the door slightly ajar and voices emanating from inside. Just as he was about to push the door open, it did so of its own accord, or rather at the hands of a well built, dark-haired man who proceeded to smile and nod in Harry's direction before descending the stairs and exiting through the main doors of the building. Harry stood, puzzled for a few moments before letting himself in.

"Nikki? Are you ready?" He enquired openly to an empty living room.

"I'll be out in a sec Harry." Came a familiar voice from the direction of the bathroom. "There's wine on the kitchen side, help yourself to a glass if you fancy it."

Had Nikki been drinking wine with a guy just before she was due to have dinner with another man, thought Harry. And not just any other man, with him. Her best friend. He couldn't figure out why this bothered him so much. After all, like he'd just acknowledged, Nikki was his best friend. When was it common for a someone to resent their _friend's_ love life and/ or future happiness.

But what about that Ben guy? That definitely wasn't him who passed Harry in the corridor. Harry had met the sickeningly optimistic DCI on a number of occasions, through a number of investigations, and he was the complete opposite of Nikki's mystery visitor, fair-haired and slim with a permanent, slightly nauseating, smile upon his face.

Absent-mindedly pouring himself a glass of wine and ten minutes of channel flicking later, Nikki appeared at the door to the living room in her dark skinny jeans, heels (as always), and a gorgeous floral blouse that could not have fitted her slender body more perfectly, Harry thought. If it wasn't for the slightly exaggerated, darkened eye make-up, she would not have looked much different to how she did on an ordinary day in the office, with her delicate blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders in a carefree yet flawless manner. Problem was, Harry had begun to recognise her sheer beauty at work too and he was sure it was beginning to affect his concentration.

"Ready!" Nikki exclaimed. "Sorry if i look a mess, had to get rid of Chris before I could finish getting ready. Still, you've seen me in worse states I suppose." She grinned.

"Well I don't know..." Harry began, a roguish look on his face.

"Haha. Very funny. Don't even go there. I don't look that bad!" Nikki exclaimed, a slightly offended glance causing Harry to exclaim,

"No Nix, you look radiant." Without a hint of sarcasm or playful teasing in his voice. A rare occurrence.

"Alright Mr, what do you want? Radiant eh? If this is part of a sneaky plan to get me to help you complete those reports you left unfinished on your desk, no chance!" She grinned.

"If I'd have stayed to finish those reports, I'd have been extremely late for our date tonight, and a gentleman never keeps a lady waiting..." Harry trailed off. Had he inadvertently referred to tonight as a 'date'? He hoped Nikki wouldn't notice. He should have known better.

"Date? Harry Cunningham, you never told me this was a date? I'm flattered!" Teased Nikki as she drank the last of her glass of wine.

"You know, dates don't have to be romantic in nature Nix. And judging by the amount of male traffic in and out of this flat on a regular basis, you don't need me to add any extra drama to your dating schedule." Harry snapped.

"Err, what is _that_ supposed to mean Harry? Are you implying I'm some sort of man-eater?" Nikki smiled.

Harry could feel himself getting more and more agitated by this conversation, and found himself inadvertently pouring out all of his concerns about her love life. That glass of wine must have gone straight to his head.

"Well, you're stringing along DCI Ben what's-his-face, while you're going out to dinner with me, and inviting strange, burly men round after work. 'Man-eater' is a definite possibility I'd say."

"Okay..." Nikki couldn't quite determine whether Harry was being serious or not. "Well I wouldn't say I'm stringing Ben along, we are getting on quite well and taking things slowly, not that it's really any of your business. You are I are just colleagues, you're my friend, and we've always gone out to dinner or for drinks so nothing's changed there. And Chris, I'm assuming you're referring to, is my friend Lydia's boyfriend and was here to fix the leaking tap in my kitchen for me. So, Dr Cunningham, care to rethink that 'man-eater' label you so carelessly slapped on me just a few moments ago?" Nikki asked with a smile as she put on her coat.

Harry was mortified. He'd been caught out. He'd exposed his jealous side to the one person he'd always hoped to conceal it from. And that Chris guy was Nikki's plumber. A _plumber_ for crying out loud! Now that he thought about it, Harry did remember seeing him carrying something resembling a toolbox from the flat previously.

How could he have been so naive? Nikki wasn't one to mess people around. She cared about people; it was what made her so special. And as Harry had already tried hard to acknowledge, he and Nikki _were_ just friends. He thought back to her 'man-eater' comment.

"Well when you put it like that, I suppose I could reconsider. There's defiantly something 'hungry' about you though." Harry winked, as he made his way over to the front door, let Nikki out in front of him and closed the door behind.

"Hungry?" Nikki replied as the descended the stairs together, "I'm bloody famished. Where are you taking me?"


	3. Spring Chickens

"So, good wine, good food and, well... mediocre company. Not a bad way to spend an evening really." Nikki teased whilst eyeing up the menu.

For that she received a light slap round her arm from a rather intoxicated Harry across the table.

"Er, hellooo! Mediocre? I have been told I am many things; handsome, dashing, witty, charming, but NEVER mediocre."

"Charming I can believe, you've had your fair share of ridiculous women to prove that, but the rest I can only imagine you've heard from your mother Harry."

Nikki would never, she realised, be able to vocalise what she'd thought about Harry for the past six or so years, and that was that he was all of those things, and so much more. So for now, as always, the sarcastic jokes would replace her real feelings, and although she could sense that her patience for all this pretence was wearing thin, she knew she didn't want to do anything to ruin what had so far been a perfect night out with her best friend.

"Ouch. Nikki Alexander, you sure know how to hit a man where it hurts. But I do agree, the food is bloody good here, and this wine, oooh..." Harry grinned as he flopped ever so slightly to one side in his chair, the contents of his wine glass sloshing about ferociously, threatening to escape.

"Harry Cunningham! Are you drunk?" Exclaimed Nikki, knowing full well that her male colleague had consumed over a bottle and a half of red wine in just under an hour.

"Drunk? Me? Never! I'm a professionalist Nikki. I'n real goo at ma job an I never drunk. Honest." Harry replied, a large grin spreading across his face.

He decided to prove his point by devouring what remained of the wine in his glass, but only succeeded in pouring half of its contents down his carefully chosen shirt. Nikki laughed. God how he loved the sound of her laughing.

"Harry!" Nikki giggled, "How did you manage to miss your mouth if you're not drunk. You've got the biggest gob of anyone I know! And 'professionalist', really Harry, when did you start making up words?"

"Oh alright!" Harry squealed, "Maybe I'm a lil tipsified. A little inebriated, intoxicated, under the influence. But not drunk Nikki. No, no, no. I can handle my drink." He protested.

"Yes. I can see that." Nikki said, glancing once again at Harry's wine-stained shirt and letting out a small burst of laughter.

At that moment Nikki's phone sounded and she diverted her attention towards a text message. Harry studied her face silently. Her striking features became even more pronounced when she concentrated; it was why he had so often found himself losing his train of thought halfway through conducting a PM alongside his stunning colleague.

"And who may I ask is so important that their very communication with you takes precedence over our wonderful dinner together?" Harry put on his best French accent, "Might it be a certain, 'ow do you say, Monsieur Benjamin?"

Nikki felt immediately guilty for reaching for her phone when she had no intention of replying to Ben's invitation for a late drink after his shift. She realised she was so used to involuntarily answering her phone in the hope that it would be Harry, that even in his presence she found it hard to prevent the automatic reaction and accompanying butterflies in her stomach.

"No, he's working, I told you." Nikki lied, "It's just Lisa finalising stuff for her wedding next week."

Harry had waited all night for an opportunity to bring up the topic of Ben in a casual context, and he wasn't going to let the fact that Nikki's text was not from the young police officer ruin his chance now.

"So how is young Benjamin these days?" Harry asked, trying his best to sound nonchalant, "I stress the young part too. How old is he Nix, twenty five?" Harry mocked.

"He's thirty actually, if you must know. And yes, before you make some rude joke, he is therefore just a few years younger than me."

Nikki was feeling more uncomfortable by the second. She had dreaded the conversation turning to this and she sensed it would be a while before Harry let it drop.

"No Nix, you're right. Age shouldn't be a problem. I love that you're confident enough in yourself to have a toyboy lover."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Nikki growled.

"Well, just that you're no spring chicken are you?" Chuckled Harry.

In a rather selfish way, he loved that he alone had the power to make her question all of her relationships and choices.

"And what exactly_ is _a 'spring chicken' Doctor Cunningham?" Asked Nikki, although wishing she hadn't.

"Oh you know, twenty, maybe twenty-five years old, good pair of legs..." Harry could see that he was entering dangerous territory with this pursuit of teasing his best friend.

"Oh I see, so effectively the range from which you source all of your prospective dates then?" Nikki replied, wishing she'd had the nerve to think of a sharp comeback to Harry's incessant teasing.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to the odd spring chicken now and again, no. Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice Doctor Alexander?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Oh yes, I'd love to trade in my intelligence, great friends and great career, all for a life of bar hopping, flashing my cleavage, and a night of passion with you, Harry."

She hoped he'd never know how vocalising the last part of that sentence sent shivers up her spine when she pictured it. Harry's soft lips on hers once again, his strong hands tearing away at her clothes, holding her so tight she would moan...

"Er, earth to Nikki. You in there?" Harry laughed, "I realise that your ambitions stretch to beyond those of any female I might be lucky to lure into my bed. So let's hear about the inhabitants of _your_ bed instead, the bed I hear is so widely adored. What is Ben like?" Harry probed, undeterred by his failure to discover any details on his first attempt.

"What's he like?" Nikki repeated, for no other reason than to prolong the absence of that particular conversation for as long as possible.

"Yes, what's he like? Simple question really for a summer chicken like yourself." Harry remarked.

Aha! Nikki found a further escape from a conversation about Ben.

"Summer Chicken?" She asked, "So I'm no spring chicken, but rather a summer chicken instead? What on earth are you on about Harry? What's a 'summer chicken' when it's at home?"

"Well obviously a summer chicken is one in the prime of its life, knowledgeable and wise, beautiful and free, and still has good legs obviously." Harry winked mid-speech, "unlike the lesser spring chickens who pretty much have no clue what they're doing with themselves!" He finished, quite proud of his ridiculous analogy.

Nikki was confounded. If this was Harry's round-a-bout way of telling her he thought she was beautiful and that his 'lesser' unsuitable conquests meant less to him than she did, she wasn't so sure she liked it. Did he mean to call her beautiful or was it just a part of his particularly warped chicken analogy? Whatever the reason, Harry had called her beautiful and she felt the butterflies return to her stomach, just as the waitress arrived at their table to take their orders for main course.

"Are you ready to order?" The pretty brunette asked.

"Yes I think we are, are we?" Harry asked Nikki.

"Yes, you go first." Answered Nikki.

"Okay then. I'll have... the 'Summer Chicken'." Smiled Harry, as he winked mischievously in Nikki's direction.


	4. The reality of Harry

She couldn't help but feel on top of the world that particular morning, and although she knew that a strenuous day at work lay ahead of her, she found it hard to suppress the enormous smile radiating from her delicate features as she strolled through the gates of the university, en route to The Lyell Centre.

For weeks now, Nikki realised, she had been focusing on the ever evolving dynamic of her relationship with Harry, and why he was acting so upbeat and carefree when she suspected him of feeling nothing of the sort. She should have been focusing on the times they spent together which made her feel so... so... well, like this!

She wondered why she so strongly wished for Harry to exhibit the extent of his grief and pain caused by the trip to Hungary that had become something of a taboo subject, but could only rationalise that she needed to in order for them to move on. However, if dinner last night had shown her anything, Harry was focusing on returning to his usual self and therefore, she thought, so should she.

She couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening to illustrate what an amazing friend she had in Harry, a friend she treasured with all her heart, and she couldn't escape the feeling of nervous butterflies in her stomach as she sat down at her desk to begin her day.

* * *

"Leo, have you seen Harry this morning?" Nikki asked the professor as he returned to his office from the lab.

She'd been putting off asking as she didn't want to draw Leo's attention to Harry's tardiness, but it was now quarter past ten and Harry was over 2 hours late.

"Yes, he's down in the cutting room Nikki, been down there since this morning. I'm surprised you've not joined him, he said he'd be up to fill you in on a few things, might be a bit of facial reconstruction he could use you for. He must have got too involved the PM. P'raps you ought to pop down and see what's what?" Leo suggested.

"Ok Leo, thanks. I'll go see if he's alright." Replied Nikki, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

It was unlike Harry not to say hello first thing in the morning, even he was already engrossed in a case. He always had time for a catch up and a coffee, or occasionally on those really hectic days, just a few small courtesy greetings. She wondered if he was avoiding her.

Thoughts of the previous night raced through Nikki's mind on her way down to the cutting room. Had she annoyed or upset Harry in some way? She'd left the restaurant feeling happier than she had in a long time, and she thought Harry had too. So why had he spent the last 2 and a bit hours hiding away down here? It was a question Nikki wished she'd never asked.

Harry was sitting at the computer on the far side of the lab, a PM report glaring out of the screen, but his attention could not have been further from the report. For sitting next to Harry was a young and exceedingly attractive brunette who appeared to be engaged in a rather childlike, but amusing it seemed, game of 'thumb wars' with Nikki's colleague. Nikki felt the butterflies return, but this time they signalled a rather more sinister emotion.

"Er, Harry?" Nikki enquired, "Leo said you wanted to talk to me about a facial reconstruction or something?"

Harry, mid chuckle, turned to face Nikki.

"Ah yes. Well the PM's just about done so..."

"Yes, I can see that." Nikki retorted, before fearing she may have exposed rather more of her jealous nature than she'd have liked at that particular moment. Who was this girl sat with her hand on Harry's knee?

"Oh, right well, yes." Harry seemed a little hesitant, "Nix, have you met Bella? She's the new lab technician. Taking over from Zak while he's in Aus for the next few months. Bella Jones, this is Doctor Nikki Alexander. She likes to think she knows what she's talking about, but we keep a close eye on her. I'm the real brains in the lab." Harry teased, as he winked in Nikki's direction.

"Ooh, brains and he's handy with a scalpel. Is there anything this man can't do?" Piped up the young brunette.

Unsure how to interpret Harry's teasing in the presence of such unashamed flirting between himself and his new plaything, Nikki settled for a rather nonchalant, "It would appear not", in reply to the young woman's question, before returning her attention to Harry.

"So, the facial reconstruction. Is it something I can get on with now, or should I come back in a few hours?" She asked, trying her best not to sound to agitated, distressed or uncomfortable at the situation she now found herself in.

"Well, it's all ready for you to have a stab at really. Male, found in the river last night. Been there sometime. Very little to work with facially due to decomposition and decay, but anything you can do to help establish this guys identity would be a great help Nix." Harry replied in an almost clinical fashion.

"Right. Well I've got a few more bits to sort out on one of my reports from yesterday but I'll be down in a while to make a start."

Nikki turned and began to retreat as quickly as possible, not wanting to think about the scene she had just unwillingly wandered into. It was hard enough these days to hear about Harry's latest conquests and bachelor lifestyle, but having to view it first hand was another thing entirely. And the thought that she would have to experience the awkwardness of today repeatedly if this Bella girl was to be working here for the next few months... She needed to get out of that lab. Fast.

"Nix, wait a minute." Shouted Harry, grabbing hold of her arms as she fled into the corridor. "Are you alright? You seem a little 'off' today. Feeling a bit hungover after last night are we?" Asked Harry, the usual twinkle in his eye.

Under normal circumstances, that twinkle would have sent shivers through Nikki and the butterflies in her stomach fluttering round the rest of her body, but right now it only made her angrier.

"I'M FINE!" Nikki shouted, yanking her arm free of Harry's strong grip, "Absolutely fine. Not hungover, not unwell, just fine thank you very much." She lied.

"Really? Because I felt like death this morning, and I do believe it's your fault Doctor Alexander, for letting me drink so much bloody wine last night!" Harry laughed. "Anyway, don't worry about getting started on my reconstruction straight away. Come to the pub for some lunch after you've tied up all the loose ends in that report."

Nikki considered his offer. Perhaps Harry realised how inappropriate he was being, flirting with a new colleague like that? Perhaps he wanted to make it up to Nikki? Perhaps he wanted to start up where last night had left off?

Harry continued, "I mean, I'm taking Bella out for a 'welcome to the team' drink, so you're more than welcome to come along and meet her properly."He offered.

Nikki couldn't believe it. It was like last night meant nothing to Harry. To him, she would always be just a source of good company which he could pick up and drop again in between all of his illustrious affairs with various adolescent women.

"I'm afraid I'm already meeting a friend for lunch Harry." Nikki lied, "Thanks anyway. I'll get round to doing that face when I get a chance. You'd better get back to showing the new girl around, I'm sure you're doing a grand job."

And with that, Nikki firmly turned her back, on Harry, and the glimmer of hope for the two of them she'd been carrying around for so long. As she exited the corridor she heard her colleague return to the cutting room;

"Now, now miss Jones, there is much I have yet to teach you about thumbs and the art of 'thumb wars', I hope you're sitting comfortably..."


	5. Friday's miracle

**Now that I've started writing this, I'm finiding it hard to stop! I love being in control of Harry and Nikki's relationship!**

**Apologies for the distinct lack of plot throughout this fic, but I feel like I need a chance to get to grips with writing the characters to reflect their TV selves. Hopefully, anyone reading this is enjoying it so far. Please review if you have any suggestions or comments! Lovely to hear what people think. Stay well. x**

* * *

It had been a hectic week for Harry and as Friday rolled around, he was glad to see the back of his latest case. Glancing at his watch, Harry pondered about the evening ahead. It was six thirty. An unusually early finish for a Friday, especially seeing as Nikki and Leo were both finishing up also. Must have been a sign.

"Leo, care to join me in the pub to celebrate the miraculous fact that for once the people of London have decided to give it a rest for the weekend and stop dying on us?" Harry asked his colleague as he stood in the doorway to Leo's office, arms outstretched above him, leaning against the wooden frame.

"Don't speak too soon Harry!" Laughed Leo, "But yes, that sounds like a marvellous idea."

Just then, Nikki appeared behind Harry. She took a moment to observe his stance, then ducked underneath his left arm and stepped through the gap he'd created between himself and the doorframe, before briefly turning sideways to nudge Harry with her hip in a mischievous manner.

"What's a marvellous idea?" She asked, glancing between the two men.

"Harry was just suggesting a trip to the pub to celebrate us all leaving work on time. It is Friday after all." Leo answered.

"Yep. Full of marvellous ideas, me. You coming Nix?" Harry asked, a hopeful look on his face.

"Well firstly, I'm not sure that six thirty counts as 'on time', _especially_ seeing as it's Friday, _and_ we've all been here since quarter to six this morning" Nikki replied, "and secondly, I'm afraid I can't come for drinks. I'm meeting Ben for dinner. But you boys have fun." Nikki winked at Harry, a gesture that never failed to give him goose bumps.

Damn. She was blowing them off. Something hadn't been quite right with Nikki for the past few weeks, and Harry couldn't quite work out what. He knew she'd been seeing that DCI guy for over a month now, but she never talked about him.

He'd asked all the right questions at dinner a few weeks back, but somehow she kept deflecting them and changing the subject. He'd assumed she'd grow tired of resisting and would end up spilling all the next day at work. Only, when it came down to it, he realised he didn't want to know all the sordid details of what Nikki got up to with other men, and so spent the entire morning down in the cutting room.

He joked about Nikki's love life often enough but when it really mattered, he couldn't handle the truth. He'd often wondered why that was. He wondered also why he'd been so keen to seem interested in the new lab tech, Bella, when Nikki was around.

He'd spent almost the entire week 'turning on the charm' as Nikki would call it, flirting left, right and centre with a girl who, quite frankly, was as desperate and dull as she was shallow, and that was 'very'!

Suddenly, Harry remembered overhearing part of Nikki's phone conversation earlier in the day.

"You're not getting out of this that easily Nix. I heard you on the phone to lover boy earlier and you definitely told him to pick you up from here at half eight, so plenty of time for a few drinks first", reminded Harry.

"Well how was I to know that we'd actually be finished early for once, and excuse me Harry Cunningham, what do you think you're doing listening into my _private_ phone calls?" Quizzed Nikki.

"Well I'm told people pay a premium price to hear your voice Doctor Alexander. Thought I'd cash in on the fun for free. Colleagues' privileges and all that." Harry smirked, "So when they ask what you're wearing, do you tell them in detail about your oh-so-sexy scrubs..."

"Harry!" Nikki interrupted, "You've got a mind dirtier than a sewer."

"This is Doctor Alexander in her clean, white scrubs and overalls, about to get down and dirty at work. You wouldn't believe the mess I get myself into sometimes!" Mocked Harry, in a high-pitched voice, mimicking Nikki.

For that, Harry received a slap round the back of his head, leaving him rubbing the spot fervently, but at the same time feeling confident that his tease would have left Nikki wanting more.

Leo chuckled, "You two are like children. Now, I'm nearly all done here, I'll meet you both downstairs in a few minutes?"

"I think I'll stay till Ben get's here, catch up with some paperwork, but thanks anyway Leo!" Replied Nikki as she turned to leave his office.

Harry's heart sunk. He didn't understand why Nikki would pass up the chance for a few drinks with him Leo. There was a time when the three of them were inseparable, even outside of work. He could never quite fathom it himself. They spent hours each day in each other's pockets working together, and yet when it was time to leave, they'd all feel a strange need to continue conversations, finish childish games that had been started earlier in the day, or merely just enjoy more of each other's company.

They were never at a loss for words when they were together and in that moment Harry could not think of two more amazing people in his life. He had to find out what was up with Nikki.

"Yeah, see you downstairs in a sec." Said Harry to Leo, before darting off out the office after his female colleague.

He found her sat at her desk, her head in her hands, breathing deeply. He wasn't sure she'd heard him approach.

"Nix, what's up with you?" Harry asked sympathetically as he sat at his desk opposite.

Nikki jumped. She hadn't heard him. She looked up from her hands. Harry thought her eyes looked a little strained and tearful.

"Harry! You scared me half to death!"

"Really? Only half to death? Ah, there's not much I can do with that I'm afraid. You see, I'm what they call a pathologist and we only deal with people who are _actually_ dead, so 'half dead' presents sort of an awkward situation for me!" Teased Harry.

"Awkward eh?" Asked Nikki.

Harry wasn't quite sure what she was getting at.

"Nix, you need to talk to me. You don't chatter away to me like you used to. In fact I've grown so attached to your ridiculous little stories that since you've not been telling me any, I've been forced to frequent Leo's office time and again, on the off-chance that he might provide me with some tedious tale about what he and Janet watched on the nature channel the night before. I need the old Nikki back in my life. Where have you gone?"

Nikki just stared at Harry, her gorgeous brown eyes bearing into him. It was all he could do not to march over and grab hold of her tightly, tell her everything would be ok, and kiss her. On the forehead of course.

"Is it something to do with Ben?" Harry continued.

He half hoped it would be. He felt he needed another excuse to delve deeper into Nikki's relationship with the Detective Chief Inspector, however much he had regretted opening similar cans of worms in the past.

"No. He's great. Perfect really. Just having one of those days." Nikki replied.

"Ah one of those days eh? Well, sounds to me like you could use a stiff drink to ease your pain. Who knows, we might even get you a little drunk, what do you say to that?" Asked Harry as he walked round to Nikki's desk and held out both his hands for her.

"I say... only if you're paying" Nikki smiled as she reached out and took Harry's hands and he eased her gently to her feet. "But you can't get me too drunk you know, I'm not sure Ben will appreciate taking a drunken mess to dinner."

"Naww, now you're spoiling all the fun Nix, 'drunken mess' Nikki is the best. She sings along to terrible eighties records in the pub, orders pints of Guinness that take her hours to finish drinking, and always puts Leo in his place." Harry argued, "Now who wouldn't love that?" He asked.

And just as Harry put a loving arm round Nikki's shoulders, too content to even listen for an answer to his question, a single word left his blonde colleague's mouth, a look of sadness in her eyes;

"You."


	6. Enough is never enough

Nikki had turned down a trip to the pub with Harry and Leo in the hope that she could stay behind in the office and try her hardest to put the last few weeks to the back of her mind before her dinner with Ben.

Harry's incessant flirting with new girl Bella had driven Nikki insane at first, until she realised that dwelling on the actions of her best friend, who was highly unlikely to change his ways or even realise his behaviour was inappropriate, was a childish and naive thing to do.

She should cut her losses, avoid Harry to all intents and purposes, at least until his overly flirtatious streak had come to an end as it always did, and focus on Ben who had made it quite clear that he was more than interested in getting serious with Nikki.

Problem was, Nikki wasn't sure she needed serious. She wasn't sure she had ever or _would_ ever need 'serious' in her life, that was what made Harry so great. Harry barely had a serious bone in his body. He had the ability to make her laugh in a way that no one else could. With one word or often even just a glance, Harry could bring out a laughter in her that erupted freely and wildly, leaving her genuinely exhausted.

Which was why she was so glad that he had cared enough to persuade her to go to the pub after all. As stubborn as she knew she was, it took only a few words from Harry, and the offer of his company for a few hours, to change her mind.

* * *

The pub had been busy but Leo had located a booth in the far corner for the three of them, and soon enough there was an array of empty glasses adorning the table where three intelligent Forensic Pathologists were squealing and spluttering in almost constant fits of laughter.

Nikki couldn't remember the last time the three of them had laughed and chatted together with such passion and enthusiasm, although she had a feeling that the two wine bottles and six pint glasses, all of them empty, may have had something to do with this occasion.

"Hold on! Doccy A..." Began Harry, his words slightly slurred, "didn't you have a date or something tonight? With Be-, no wait. Let me think of his 'gangsta' name. Chiefy B I reckon. It's gotta be. Leo?" He asked his colleague, eager for the approval of his invention.

"Er yes Harry, I do believe that Chiefy B sounds rather marvell-" Leo began.

"SHIT!" Exclaimed Nikki, interrupting Leo with a serious look on her face. "Shit. I forgot to meet Chiefy B!" she continued, as she returned to a fit of giggles. "What time is it?"

"Ummm... It would appear to be just quarter past five. So don't worry Nix, you've got aaages yet." Harry offered, looking at his watch, a confused look spreading across his face.

Nikki grabbed his wrist and stared at the watch for a moment, waiting for her alcohol-subdued eyes to adjust.

"Harry! It helps if you look at your watch the right way up! Oh my lord. Would you look at that. It's quarter to eleven. Oopsie. Might have missed my dinner." Joked Nikki, whilst taking another large swig of the wine in her glass.

"Now Nikki, don't you think you ought to ring Ben to let him know you're ok?" Asked Leo, "He might be worried." Trust Leo to always be thinking of others, even when he'd consumed half the contents of the local pub.

"Yes Leo, you're right. If only I could find my damn phone... Hellooooo!" Nikki chirped loudly, her head underneath the table.

"What in god's name are you doing Nikki?" Asked Harry, who seemed to be highly amused at the sight of his, usually rather more composed, colleague, bent forward in her seat, surveying the floor.

"Duuuh. I'm looking for my phone, silly!" Replied Nikki, still from under the table.

"Well do you think there's much chance of it being under the table? Aren't you more likely to find it in your bag" Laughed Leo.

Nikki head reappeared and she looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, put it this way, there's about as much chance of it being on the floor as there is of it being in my bag. Because I'm pretty sure I left it in the office!" And Nikki once again erupted into a fit of giggles.

"God help us!" Exclaimed Harry, a wide grin spreading across his mouth, "Do you want to use my phone?"

He handed Nikki his phone and observed her. Nikki stared at the phone, open mouthed for a while. She had a childish innocence about her, but looked absolutely stunning nonetheless, Harry thought.

"This would be so much more helpful if I knew Ben's number Harry!" Nikki finally said.

And all three of them resumed their laughter, loud enough to drown out the entire pub.

"Well, I suppose we'd better walk you back to the centre to get your phone then cleverclogs?" Harry teased as he and Leo began to put on their jackets.

* * *

The three of them walked arm in arm, Nikki in the middle as it was assumed she'd need the most help walking in a straight line, across the road to the car park at the university, where Janet was waiting in her car to pick up Leo.

"Shall we wait and give you both lifts home?" Asked Leo.

"No it's fine" replied Harry, "We're in totally the wrong direction anyway, we'll get a cab. See you Monday Proffy D!" Chuckled Harry, with Nikki laughing alongside him, both still amused at the nicknames they'd all invented for each other earlier in the evening.

As Nikki and Harry made their way up the stairs towards the office, Nikki couldn't help but wonder why she was forever wanting more out of her life when she already had everything she needed. A great job, her own apartment, a boyfriend willing to take her seriously, and the best friends that anyone could ask for. Why did she always want more than she had?

As the pair neared the top step, a sudden surge of alcohol to Nikki's brain caused her to trip slightly. Harry, although equally as intoxicated, managed a swift and heroic attempt to catch her and haul her upright once more, sandwiching Nikki between himself and the wall in the process.

The tension between them at that moment was undeniable. Nikki, feeling the warmth of Harry against her body, opened her mouth to thank him but was instead greeted with the sensation of Harry's soft lips against her own. She pulled away instinctively for a second before something inside her caused her to return her best friend's kiss in a rather fiery manner.

As the pair became engrossed in their passionate embrace, Nikki, running her hands hungrily through Harry's hair, felt a sudden pang of guilt and moving both hands down onto Harry's shoulders, pushed him away gently. She stared at the ground, unable to make eye contact.

After six years, they had made it to the place that neither of them ever imagined they would, and Nikki was unavailable. She was seeing someone. She shouldn't be kissing Harry this way, feeling this way, when another man was worried for her well being.

"Nikki, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-, I just-, I don't know what I was thinking." Harry told her as he placed one finger under her chin and raised her head to face him.

The passion in his eyes had been replaced by the same guilt Nikki was now experiencing, and she couldn't help but feel utterly disappointed that their unexpected embrace had ended this way.

"It's my fault too Harry. Waaay too much wine. Don't worry. Honestly. I ought to go grab my phone really."

As Nikki climbed the last few stairs, she reconsidered her earlier question, 'Why did she always want more than she had?'. There was one very simple answer she could no longer deny;

Harry.


	7. Desk Deja Vu

**Haven't updated for a while and whilst doing my other fic, I missed writing the childish, fun Nikki and Harry, so here's some more for you lovely people. Please keep reading and reviewing, always nice to hear people's thoughts and suggestions! :)**

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* * *

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The weekend had passed in a blur for Harry. A drunken blur. A number of times he'd been tempted to call Nikki. He'd needed to apologise. But every time he reached for the phone, he found himself holding the whiskey bottle instead.

He'd spent the best part of two days dissecting everything about that kiss. Told himself he was stupid for ever making a move. It was the drink talking. It should never have happened.

But Nikki had kissed him back. She'd pulled away at first, and then kissed him back. And passionately too for that matter. He'd been drinking, sure, but he was confident he'd never in his life experienced a kiss with quite as much chemistry as that.

The problem was, he knew Nikki. He knew she had a heart of gold. And he knew that she'd be feeling guilty as anything, for betraying Ben. And that didn't bode well for their working relationship.

Monday had come round once more, and Harry could not have been less enthused about going into work. He'd asked Leo to page him if anything came up early Monday morning, simply to delay seeing Nikki, but as luck would have it, the people of London decided that now was not the time to be dying.

* * *

As he punched in the security code and pushed open the frosted glass doors into the lab, he was greeted by a familiar sight. Nikki was sat at his desk. Talk about déjà vu. It was almost enough to make him forget about the current state of things. He smiled.

"What's got you so happy this morning?" Nikki asked, looking up from _his_ monitor.

Harry began to wonder if he'd imagined the whole of Friday night's episode. Nikki was acting as if it had never happened. Mind you, if that was how she wanted to play things, casual instead of awkward, he really wasn't in a position to complain.

"What's got me so happy? Well, as a matter of fact, I was just reminiscing about the last time you were sat at my desk. I seem to remember, you told me that it would be the_ last_ time, and that if I ever found you there again, I'd have your permission to remove you by force."

Nikki grinned.

"And as luck would have it," Harry continued, "you appear to have forgotten all about our agreement. Either that or you're just desperate for me to manhandle you!"

"Harry, I've seen the way you 'manhandle' corpses. Do you honestly think I'd be desperate for you to do the same to me?" Nikki mused.

"As a matter I've often wondered, on those rare occasions I've caught you studying my handiwork, whether you were indulging yourself in a little Cunnigham-related fantasy!"

Nikki scoffed and bent her head to sign the bottom of a PM report she was finishing.

"Let's see if I was right shall we?" Harry threatened, making exaggerated, slow-motion, creeping steps towards the desk. He threw his bag down on Nikki's side of the desk and made a lunge at her, arms grabbing out in front of him.

Nikki squealed and leapt up, running in the opposite direction around the large desk space. Harry however, had predicted this turn of events and doubled back, bending forward slightly to scoop Nikki up into a fireman's hold.

"Let me go, you great oaf!" Nikki wailed, squirming and banging her fists on his lower back.

"No, no. You said 'by force'. And this is definitely 'by force'. I need to know you understand the sacredness of our desk agreement." Harry chuckled.

Eventually Nikki stopped struggling and using her elbows, propped herself up slightly whilst briefly entertaining in her mind various ways to escape being slung over one's shoulder like a jacket.

"Harry, let me down." She settled on the obvious.

"Oh, I see. You've had enough of staring at my incredibly pert bum, and now you're ready to enjoy the beauty of my face again. Is that it?"

"'Pert' wasn't exactly the adjective that came to mind, no."

"Are you sure you're really in a position to make judgemental comments about my buttocks. I could carry you downstairs and stuff you in a morgue fridge quicker than you can say 'Harry Cunningham has the best bum in London', you know."

Nikki laughed. Harry was right, there wasn't much else she could do in the situation.

"And frankly, I think you should." Harry continued.

"Should what?"

"Say, 'Harry Cunningham has the best bum in London'."

"But Harry, my mother always told me that lying was wrong." Nikki squealed as she felt Harry's grip tighten on the backs of her knees.

"Right, that's it!" Harry exclaimed, "It's off to the fridges for you Madam!"

And with that Harry proceeded to march himself and his precious cargo across the lab towards the glass doors. When Leo appeared just at that moment, he held the doors open, a look of only half surprise upon his face.

"Don't worry Leo, I'm just taking this rather offensive body down to the morgue to be shut away forever in storage. I'll be back up in a jiffy!"

"And I always thought the fridges were for corpses." Joked Leo.

"They are!" Nikki wailed, "Harry stop being so childish and put me down."

Ignoring Nikki's comment completely, Harry turned briefly to Leo instead.

"She might not be dead yet Leo, but she will be by the time I finish with her."

"Ah. I see. Well in that case, you're in charge of hiring a new pathologist for the department." Leo thought it best to indulge their childish games. It usually helped ease some of the inescapable sexual tension in the office.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it won't be too hard to find one just as attractive but with less of a gob on her!" Harry shouted back as he sauntered off down the corridor, his best friend over his shoulder.

* * *

"You know, your bum _does_ look pretty good when you're walking Harry. Kind of exciting being this close to it." Nikki teased as they approached the storage area.

"Right, OK, you've made your point." Harry said as he hoisted Nikki off his shoulder and bent forward with his hands on his knees, panting heavily.

Nikki chuckled, a smug grin spreading across her face. She'd known Harry was less likely to accept a brand of his own medicine when it made him feel this uncomfortable.

"Bloody Hell Nix, how much do you weigh?" Harry asked accusingly.

Of course, he was being sarcastic; she actually weighed hardly anything, as to be expected with her slender, toned and elegant frame.

"Excuuuse me." Nikki retorted, "I'll have you know that just because I polished off almost an entire large stuffed crust pizza the other week, while your feeble stomach could only manage a slice and a few bits of garlic bread, does not mean you are at liberty to insinuate I am overweight!"

She gave him a gentle slap on the bum.

"Perhaps you, Harry 'pert bum' Cunningham, are a little too unfit?"

Harry laughed, standing up straight and leaning one hand against a fridge door.

"Not true. How do you expect I get a sizzling 'behind' like this without being super fit also?"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'sizzling' but a rather close encounter with it has revealed its potential. You do have a splendid bottom Harry Cunningham."

"Why thank you Doctor Alexander, I grew it myself you know?"

"Really?" Nikki laughed, "Now, in light of all the bum-related compliments, fancy letting me use your desk for the rest of today?"

"Oooh you-" Harry growled, chasing a squealing Nikki back up the stairs to the lab.

Maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day after all.


	8. Bloody Builders

It had been two weeks since the 'episode' with Harry on the stairs, and Nikki had tried fervently to remove the image of that moment from her mind. With little success.

Whilst she hadn't reserved all that much enthusiasm for her relationship with Ben before that night, she'd decided that for once, she would make a conscious effort to give _this_ relationship a chance. After all, Harry had apologised for the incident in question, and therefore, by default, admitted his to his regret over the whole thing.

As per typical Harry, the humorous and flirtatious colleague with little sense of her personal space, the kiss had been nothing more than an accidental crossing of the metaphorical line over which they rarely stepped, but whose boundaries they were always teetering on.

She owed it to Ben not to be so easily unnerved by the actions of her best friend. Harry had initiated the kiss, not her. She had ended it. After several minutes.

Somewhere in her head the voice of Harry Cunningham was telling her, "It takes two to tango Nix", and she knew he was right. An emotionally unrequited kiss could never erupt with as much passion and urgency as she had felt in that moment.

If only her kisses with Ben shared the same fire and excitement.

* * *

Having retreated back into memories of Harry's lips on hers, his hands on her back, his thigh pinning her to the wall, sending shivers through her entire body, Nikki was alarmed when the sudden presence of the very man she was fantasising about caused her to return to reality abruptly.

Harry sat down in at his desk in a rather animated manner, expelling a loud sigh as he did so.

"It's a wonder you've got any air left in your lungs after that. What on earth is wrong with you this morning?" Nikki enquired.

"Builders. Bloody builders." Harry muttered, running his hands through his hair in an agitated manner. He looked tired.

"I only got them in to put up a bloody curtain pole in the living room, and now they've told me the wall is crumbling and they'll need to re-plaster and repaint the entire section before actually putting the damn thing up. I've been moving furniture and covering things with dust sheets for most of the night, ready for them to start today!" Harry continued, a wide yawn escaping his mouth.

Nikki laughed.

"You're such a pathetic, old woman. Can't you mount a bloody curtain rail on your own?" She teased.

"Well, could you?"

"Harry, I _am_ a woman!" Nikki replied.

"Are you pathetic and old as well then?"

"Only by your standards", Nikki mused, "Anyway, are you seriously paying these guys to ransack your flat for the next few days?"

"No, I just thought I'd let them do the work, and then _not_ pay them. After all, how would they track me down? Oh wait, yes, that's right, they know where I live!" Harry rolled his eyes sarcastically in Nikki's direction.

"Alright, alright Mister sarcasm, I just find it hard to believe that you wouldn't do the work yourself."

"Well, it's not like I didn't try. I spent a great deal of yesterday evening trying to do it, but the bloody thing's a nightmare, I just couldn't keep it up!"

Nikki couldn't resist the innuendo.

"Woah, that's not usually something a girl likes to hear Harry, and certainly not something I'd go broadcasting if I were you!" She giggled.

Harry shot her a look of pure contempt, which quickly faded into a wide grin.

"For someone so angelic looking, you have an awfully dirty mind Doctor Alexander."

"It's why you love me", Nikki winked in Harry's direction.

"Ah, that's why I love you is it? Not because you occasionally file my reports for me, or cook me amazing dinners when I run out of food at home, like I'm hoping you'll do tonight..." Harry jested.

"Well that too. And since when did I agree to be chef again for the third time this week, and all for a lazy git who can't even string together a proper compliment for his best friend?"

"Ah come on Nix, if you send me home to mine, I'll end up with some awful dust-related lung disease thanks to the bloody builders!"

"Fine. But you know as well as I do _Doctor_ Cunningham, that dust-related lung diseases do not exist, and I am allowing you to keep me company at dinner tonight purely for the fact that I can pass the responsibility of the washing up onto you!"

"Sounds about fair I suppose", smiled Harry, just as the office phone rang, signalling the first crime scene of the day. After answering the call, noting down the location and gathering his belongings, Harry waved goodbye to Leo and Nikki.

"If I don't see much of you today-", Harry began.

"-you'll be extremely saddened, because the thought of a day without my company doesn't bare thinking about?" said Nikki, attempting to finish Harry's sentence for him.

"I was going to say, I'll see you at seven for dinner, but yes, I will miss you," replied Harry, "like a hole in the head" He joked under his breath as he turned to leave.

For that comment he received a ball of scrunched up paper to the head.

"I heard that!" Nikki yelled across the lab as Harry walked through the frosted doors.

'It's a good job Ben is working late tonight', Nikki thought to herself as she pondered an evening in with her best friend. She didn't much relish the awkwardness of telling Ben she was spending the night alone with her male colleague, a bottle or two of wine, and a film for the third time that week. For some reason, Ben seemed a little touchy on the subject of Harry.

Yes, she would simply tell Ben she was having an early night. No mention of Harry's visit or her accompanying anticipation. Just like the kiss the other night, tonight with Harry meant nothing. They were friends. Close friends. Always would be.


	9. Don't mess with me

In the weeks since 'that night', Harry had enjoyed the return of the casual tone of his friendship with Nikki. He had guessed she really did see it as a drunken mistake, assuming there was little more to it than that.

He was vaguely aware of the voice in his head telling him that the kiss had meant more. Why else would he have instigated it in the first place? You don't go randomly kissing your best friends when you don't find them attractive and have absolutely no intention of taking things further, do you?

I was thoughts like these that Harry had tried to steer clear of in the days following his and Nikki's little 'mishap'. After all, she was with Ben, and he wasn't about to embark on some crazy love triangle-type quest.

Although, come to think of it, he'd not heard Nikki mention Ben's name at all since that night. Maybe they were no longer an item. Maybe that meant something for him and Nikki. Or maybe she'd in fact been rabbiting on about Ben non-stop for the past week, and he'd just tuned it out, as he had a habit of doing when Nikki was in the process of regaling stories of her latest conquests.

Either way, he would have to find out where he stood, casually of course, and tonight was the perfect opportunity.

* * *

He was already climbing the stairs inside Nikki's building, after a neighbour let him through the main doors, when he received a text from Nikki.

_Had 2 stay late 2 give Leo a hand. B home in 30. Use spare key to let urself in. N x_

Bloody great! Half an hour in 'Nikki-land' translated to at least a couple of hours in the real world. Still, chilling out at Nikki's would be infinitely better than doing the same in his dust-covered shambles of an apartment. Plus, it would give him a chance to have a poke around, look for signs of her involvement with Ben, or a lack thereof.

True to form, 45 minutes, and half a bottle of wine for Harry later, there was still no sign of Nikki. Harry had nosed around as far as he thought safe, ignoring top drawers and other suspicious looking areas that looked as though they might house underwear and scary female beauty products. He'd found nothing of interest, except a slight pang of guilt in his stomach, and had therefore settled for a re-run of Friends on the TV.

Whatever else was going on in the world or in life, you could always count on there being a repeat episode of Friends on TV at all times. One of life's real pleasures.

After a further twenty minutes, a rummaging sound erupted at the front door and Harry heard the key turn in the lock.

"Oh, thirty minutes eh? Try, over an hour, you heartless cow!" Harry shouted into the hall. "I can't believe you'd leave me here for this long with nothing but a bottle of wine for company!"

"I am in painful heels, I have a horrendous headache, I'm starving hungry, and in serious need of alcohol! DON'T mess with me!" Came the reply, closely followed by the appearance of his best friend into the living room, looking hot and flustered.

"You've watched Miss Congeniality waaay too many times", Harry chuckled in response to his colleague's dramatic entrance.

Nikki laughed as she disappeared into her bedroom to deposit her bag and coat.

"I think as a 38 year-old _man_, who can remember specific quotes enough to apply them to real life, _you _are the one who's watched Miss Congeniality too many times!" She yelled towards the living room.

"Well stop making me watch it every time I come round then!"

"I don't force you to come here and indulge my ridiculous film fetishes." Nikki said as she returned to the living room, sat on the sofa next to Harry, and began unzipping her boots.

"I know you don't, but you know I won't turn down your company and the chance to see Sandra Bullock in all those revealing dresses, so it really does seem very unfair when you constantly offer it as an option."

"Well you could always make an alternative choice when you're here. I'm sure I have other films with Ms Bullock in. What about Speed? That's an action film. Would it help heal your masculinity crisis if we watched that instead?"

"Hmm, I suppose it might do."


	10. Moments like this one

Nikki winced as she removed her boots, and Harry took her reaction as an excuse to pull her legs up onto the sofa and begin to rub her feet. Nikki giggled.

"Only you would offer to rub my feet after they've been stuffed in shoes all day and are no doubt sweaty and disgusting."

"Well, you look like you need a moment or two to relax, and I see much more corpse- related disgusting things at work every day than your feet. Although the corpses generally tend to smell better than these-", Harry joked as he mocked smelling Nikki's socks, "Pheeyouuu, you stink!"

Harry laughed as Nikki's face flushed red and she wriggled her feet away from him.

"I told you they were all sweaty! You don't have to make me feel totally disgusting and completely unattractive though you know."

"I'm flattered!"

Nikki looked at Harry, a confused look on her face.

"Flattered? By what?"

"Flattered that I have the power to make you feel unattractive. I never knew you cared so much about what I thought!"

"I don't care what you think as it happens. Stop putting words in my mouth."

"Oh, so if you don't care about what I think, then there's really no point in me telling you that you actually look quite gorgeous right now", Harry said, fearing he may have inadvertently let slip to his best friend that he thought she was nothing short of a 'hottie'.

"But those feet, good god, no wonder you can't get yourself a decent man, Nix!" He continued, trying to steal focus from his earlier revelation.

It worked.

"I have got myself a decent man thank you very much. What, may I ask, is wrong with Ben?" Nikki replied matter-of-factly as she filled her wine glass to the brim.

"Ben?" Harry exclaimed, a slight surprised tone to his voice, "I didn't realise you and Ben were still-"

But he was interrupted by a suddenly incensed Nikki.

"What? Just because of the other night, you thought I'd ended it with Ben?"

Harry was confused. Where had this all come from? Nikki's sudden frustration. Only a few minutes ago, he'd been rubbing her feet, telling her she was gorgeous, and now she was laying into him.

Wait a minute.

"The other night?". What did she mean by that? Surely not the night they had kissed? Why would she assume that Harry expected her and Ben to have ended things, based on a kiss that both of them knew meant nothing.

It had to have meant nothing. Harry didn't have the strength to contemplate the alternative right now. Nikki continued,

"Did you think I'd give up on another relationship in that hope that-"

For reasons he did not know how to explain, Harry couldn't, _wouldn't_ let himself hear the end of her sentence.

"Woah, Nix. I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. It's just I have heard you talk about Ben all that much lately and I wasn't sure whether to ask or not. Didn't like to pry."

Nikki, who had been pacing the flat in her flustered state, stopped still and turned slowly to face Harry, a look of sheer embarrassment on her face.

"Well, I just-, I know you get bored of me blabbing on about stuff like that. You don't care about my sex life."

'How wrong you are', Harry thought to himself, before realising he'd said it aloud.

"What?" Asked Nikki.

"Er-, I just meant, well, I do care. I'm your friend Nix, and I'll have you know I care a great deal about whether your current squeeze is treating you well enough, and if he can stand the smell of your feet or not. These are things that, as friends, we should discuss!"

'Nicely saved', Harry thought, ensuring he didn't say it out loud this time.

"Very funny", Nikki replied, "And yes, he does treat me well, very well actually."

Harry felt his heart sink ever so slightly. This Ben thing was getting serious. More serious than he could ever remember of Nikki in the entire time he'd known her.

Nikki continued, "But I won't let him touch my feet. That special privilege is reserved just for you, Doctor Cunningham!"

She made her way back towards the sofa, and perched on the arm, next to where Harry was sitting.

"Well, once again, I'm flattered. Least now I understand how he's put up with you for so long, he's never experienced 'the feet'!" Harry laughed, "You know, if you want to know if he's for keeps, sooner or later you'll have to 'get your wriggle on' and see how he reacts!"

Nikki laughed too, "Get my wriggle on?"

"Yeah, you know, like this!" Harry said as he leant back on the sofa and lifted his legs so that his feet were directly in front on Nikki's face, wriggling his sock-covered toes ferociously as he did so.

"Eurgh, gross. Your feet are so much worse than mine Harry!"

"You're probably right there. So, no foot rub for me then?"

Nikki shook her head, a large grin on her face, "Not a chance!"

"Fair enough."

Harry was too busy enjoying the breathtaking smile gracing Nikki's face to think of a better comeback. He was glad he'd sidestepped one of their ridiculous arguments that so often got unnecessarily out of control for reasons he could never fathom.

"How bout just a hug then?" He asked.

"If you must" Nikki replied, her smile increasing as she did so.

'Normality resumed' Harry thought to himself as he pulled Nikki down off the arm of the chair, and onto the cushions next to him, enveloping her into a tight hug, and planting a light kiss onto her forehead.

He'd never been one for displays of affection, especially with friends, that was until a lively blonde had entered his life and turned it on its head. He wondered now how he would live without moments like these, and he hoped that the increasing significance of Nikki's relationship with Ben did not mean he would have to.


End file.
